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Chiropractic Can Help Cure Chronic Headaches

Approximately 45 million people in the United States get chronic headaches. That means one in six people suffer from headaches.

A recent study showed that 60 percent of migraine suffers had a substantial decrease in symptoms after being treated by a chiropractor. Adjustments that target the root of chronic headaches have a success rate of up to 90 percent. Patients that are treated by chiropractors for headaches and migraines have maintained a pain-free lifestyle for years following chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractors believe that treatment needs to focus on the root of the problem. Too often, people turn to pain relievers and over the counter medications, which in high or frequent doses can cause liver damage. The idea behind chiropractic is to create an environment for the body to heal itself, as opposed to treating condition with medicines. Chiropractors don’t merely treat symptoms but instead they look for causes.

Below is a short list of the most common types of headaches: • Tension headaches feel like a band of tension around the top of the head • Cervicogenic headaches are often felt at the base of the skull • Parietal headaches are often felt on one or both sides of the head • Sinus headaches originate in the area just above the eye • Migraine headaches are excruciating, pulsating headaches that are often accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound

Chiropractic treatment has techniques to relieve all of the symptoms listed above. Chiropractic Treatment or “adjustments” for headaches focus on subluxations. In layman’s terms, subluxations are the misalignments of vertebrae causing nerve irritation anywhere along the spine. The source of pain comes from misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine. If the vertebrae are misaligned they lose their range of motion, causing pressure on nerves leading to and from the brain.

Once these misalignments are corrected it eliminates symptoms and allows the body to heal itself. Patients, who receive adjustments or gentle, acute manipulation techniques, can feel relief almost immediately. It is recommended to continue regular visits to the chiropractor for 4-6 weeks following your first adjustment to monitor your progress and maintain the adjustment.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, feel free to contact your Chicago chiropractor, Dr Chris Halliday.